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Mrs Mallard
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| Photo Information |
Copyright: Hilary Wilkinson (Hil)
![Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 741 W: 11 N: 1381]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-s-g.gif) (4761) |
| Genre: Animals |
| Medium: Color |
| Date Taken: 2007-01-02 |
| Categories: Birds |
| Camera: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 |
| Exposure: f/4, 1/100 seconds |
| More Photo Info: [view] |
| Photo Version: Original Version |
| Date Submitted: 2007-01-07 17:14 |
| Viewed: 596 |
| Points: 12 |
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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
The Mallard
The dabbling duck is 56–65 cm length, with an 81–98 cm wingspan, and weighs 750–1000 g. The breeding male is unmistakable with a green head, black rear end and a blue speculum edged with white, prominent in flight or at rest. Males also possess a yellow bill with a black tip, females dark brown.
The female Mallard is light brown like most female dabbling ducks. It can be distinguished from other ducks by the distinctive speculum. In non-breeding (eclipse) plumage, the drake looks more like the female.
The Mallard is a rare example of both Allen's Rule and Bergmann's Rule in birds. Bergmann's Rule, which states that polar forms tend to be larger than related ones from warmer climates, has numerous examples in birds. Allen's Rule says that appendages like ears tend to be smaller in polar forms to minimize heat loss, and larger in tropical and desert equivalents to facilitate heat diffusion, and that the polar taxa are stockier overall. Examples of this rule in birds are rare, as they lack external ears. However, the bill of ducks is very well supplied with blood vessels and is vulnerable to cold.
The size of the Mallard varies clinally, and birds from Greenland, although larger than birds further south, have smaller bills and are stockier. It is sometimes separated as subspecies Greenland Mallard (A. p. conboschas).
The Mallard inhabits most wetlands, including parks, small ponds and rivers, and usually feeds by dabbling for plant food or grazing; there are reports of it eating frogs. It usually nests on a river bank, but not always near water. It is highly gregarious outside of the breeding season and will form large flocks. They are exceptionally fast fliers for their size, reaching speeds of 65 km/h (40 mph).
A noisy species, the male has a nasal call, the female the "quack" always associated with ducks. (Rogers 2001)
A 29-year-old Mallard has been recorded
Notes from Wilkipedia.com |
mikou, SkyF, cecilia, Alex99, Necipp has marked this note useful
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